Mascots for MotivationHow to get NFL mascots involved in your fundraiser!

The start of fall means the start of the NFL craze. While we’re sure many of you are investing in game-time snacks and getting your Fantasy Football League in order, we also want to suggest that this season also offers some great possibilities for your Fall Fundraisers.

Take for example our client, Isbell Elementary PTA, who got the idea to tap into the football frenzy and get their home state’s NFL mascot involved with their Cowboys Stars Fun Run. That’s right, the Dallas Cowboys mascot was the face of their Fall Fundraiser! Check out the full article on the Isbell Fundraiser that was featured in their local press.

In this article we’re going to give some great pointers on ways that you can get your own home state’s NFL mascot to be a part of your fundraiser. Also, for those that want to get into the football spirit without trying to bring in a mascot, we check out the NFL Play 60 program that concentrates on youth fitness and playing outdoors 60 minutes a day (plus, it can also provide some great grants for your school!).

Want more ideas for making your fundraiser a unique experience? Team up with us and get your own Personal Event Coach! Learn more at www.thegetmovincrew.com/tour

Contacting Your Home Team

The first step is to simply reach out to your home team and see if and how they are willing to be involved with your fundraiser. But, before you press send on that email, it’s important that you do your research. Go to your team’s website and try to find answers to some of these questions to help you figure out who to contact and what to ask/offer:

Does their NFL mascot do volunteer opportunities? Or is there a fee to have him make an appearance? If it’s the latter, see if they would make an exception for a school.

Does the team have a health & wellness coach that does speaking/training events at schools? If so, this might be a good contact person or even someone who could come out and speak at your kickoff.

Are there other kids-focused programs or events that that team hosts? If so, try to see who organizes these and if there is a contact number/email. This would be you initial go-to person for arranging to have the mascot be involved with your fundraiser.

Incorporating the Mascot Into Your Fundraising Theme

Once you’ve got a commitment from your NFL team & mascot, then it’s time to center your fundraiser around this great motivator! Having the team/mascot be the sun around which the rest of your fundraiser orbits is a great way to build excitement. Not only does it make your fundraiser stand out (and be easily recognizable), but it also allows you to build on the theme of the mascot.

For example, if you're bringing in the Tampa Bay Buccaneers mascot for your fundraiser, you can build on the pirate theme with costumes, decorations and color schemes leading up to, and during, the event!

Or, if your mascot is a bit more ambiguous (lookin’ at you 49ers), then you can simply build off the general football theme with the trademark football face paint, football-themed incentives for students, and decorations.

Creating Local Engagement

When you team up with an NFL mascot, there’s a good chance that your community will want to be involved in the fun. Isbell received donations from local businesses, as well as the Dallas Cowboy organization, for their Cowboy-themed Fun Run. Consider using your NFL mascot as a promotional tool for spreading awareness of your fundraiser and for offering some NFL goodies to sponsors and local organizations who support your event.

Want to tap into the mascot motivation with your own school mascot?

Check out McCulloch Elementary and how they used their tiger mascot to create excitement around their Fun Run!

Building Excitement at the Kickoff & Celebrating at the Event

The main point of getting an NFL mascot involved with your fundraiser is to build excitement and get students motivated to bring in donations & have fun at the event. Isbell Elementary introduced Rowdy the mascot at their kickoff with music, dancing, and unrestrained excitement from the kids (& parents).

At the event, Isbell students were treated to appearances by the Cowboys Football Academy & former NFL players. The special guests even ran 4 of the stations on the Fun Run course! Since each Fun Run is unique, the options are boundless for what you could do at your own event. Maybe have the mascot show up to cheer on the students or help hand out popsicles at the end of the race. You could have a face-painting station for students who finish the race and a photo opportunity with the special guests/mascot.